


The Half-Competent Detective

by GraySonOfGotham



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Arguing, Fluff, Jason Todd is Red Hood, M/M, Moving In Together, Tim Drake is not Red Robin, Unofficial Detective Tim, almost break up, oblivious Tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-08 13:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16429877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GraySonOfGotham/pseuds/GraySonOfGotham
Summary: Tim figured out that Jason is the Red Hood, but he had yet to deduce the identities of the rest of the Bats.Jason, hoping to lead Tim away from figuring out the others' identities, plays along, which ends up... well, in Jason's opinion, being one of the worst decisions he's ever made.





	The Half-Competent Detective

When Jason sat down in the lecture hall of his first class on Monday morning, he was not expecting Tim to plop down right next to him.

“We need to talk,” Tim said.

Jason blinked at Tim, a half written text to Dick on his phone screen. “Can it wait? I have a class in ten minutes.”

Tim shook his head. “Jason…” he said slowly, biting his lower lip. Jason frowned. Tim only bit his lower lip when something serious was going on, and he was deciding the gentlest way to break the news.

Jason immediately assumed the worst: Tim was going to break up with him. They had only been dating for a month, but Jason thought they were doing pretty well. And Jason actually liked Tim a considerable amount. Jason scanned through his head about everything he did in the past week, wondering if anything offended Tim. But he came up with nothing.

“Jason…” Tim said again. He took a deep breath. “I know your secret.”

Whatever Jason was preparing himself for, it was not that. “What?” he asked. “Um, what secret?” He honestly did not know.

Tim pressed his lips together a bit and scooted in a bit closer. He lowered his voice. “About… what you get up to at night.”

Jason was still not understanding.

Tim looked a bit more annoyed now. “About you being the _Red Hood_?” he finally said.

“Oh,” was all Jason said.

“Oh?” Tim hissed. “Is that all you’re going to say to that? Jay, you- that’s- do you know how absurd that is?”

“Not… really,” Jason said, already thinking of more absurd things that has happened in his life. And death.

“Jason, you kill people!” Tim squeaked.

“Bad people.”

Tim sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. “That’s not the point,” he said. “Jason, you’re technically a criminal.”

Jason did not respond.

So Tim continued. “And I know we’ve only been dating for a month, but-” And here comes the break-up line. “-I care about what happens to you!”

“What.”

 “I do!” Tim insisted. “I don’t want you getting shot because you’re being stupid and chasing after criminals!” Tim actually looked rather stressed. “What if you- What if you _die_?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Jason muttered under his breath. “Look,” he said more clearly. “You don’t have to agree with it, but someone has to take initiative and do it.”

“It doesn’t have to be you, though,” Tim pleaded. “C’mon, Jay. It’s dangerous! I mean, you’re out and about with the _Batman_ for Christ’s sake!”

Jason blinked again. “Right… Batman.” By Tim’s tone, he obviously had not deduced _who_ the Batman is exactly. “How’d you find out anyway?”

Tim flushed a little. “I snuck into your apartment a couple weeks ago because I left my favorite shirt there. And I saw your leather jacket. _Covered in blood that wasn’t yours_.”

“How’d you know it wasn’t my blood?” Jason asked.

Tim rolled his eyes. “I’m a forensics major, in case you forgot.”

“Right. Can we- Can we talk about this later?” Jason asked. “Seriously, my class is about to start.”

Tim frowned a little. “Fine,” he said. “But don’t you dare run away, Jay! Because I _will_ hunt you down, leader of criminal underworld or not.”

Jason laughed. “Okay, Timmy. Sure.”

~

“Seriously, KFC, Tim?” Jason asked as he slid into the farthest booth of the restaurant where Tim was hiding and stuffing his face with fried chicken.

“I had to make sure you wouldn’t shoot me, and public seemed the best way to ensure that. But mostly because I didn’t eat lunch and I just had this horrible research project with the most annoying group of people, ugh. And I was craving fried chicken,” Tim said, grease giving his lips the illusion that he put on several coats of lip gloss as he ripped another piece off the chicken wing he was currently eating. “Wanna biscuit? I didn’t want five of them, but it came with the family size meal, so.”

Jason gave him an unimpressed look before snagging one of the remaining biscuits. “So you wanted to talk?”

Tim nodded, reaching for his extra-large soda and sipping it loudly. Jason grimaced at the greasy fingermarks left on the cup. “ _You_ need to stop your vigilantism.”

Jason slowly raised an eyebrow. He tore the biscuit in half, but did not eat it. “And if I don’t?”

Tim shrugged. “I dunno. Haven’t thought that far yet. I did say I had this stupid research project to do, didn't I?” He started on yet another piece of chicken, this time tearing straight into it with his teeth. “Oh, I know, I’ll turn all your t-shirts inside out.”

Jason snorted. “That’s a brilliant plan of revenge.”

“I’m not looking to get revenge on you, Jay. Just to annoy you.” Tim grinned. “I can see it now. Jason Todd’s immaculate, absolutely pristine closet, with every single t-shirt flipped inside out, all the jeans inside out, all the shoes placed with the right shoe on the left and the left on the right. I do paint a beautiful scene, don’t I?”

Jason’s eye twitched at the horrific thought. “I’m not going to stop being Red Hood just because you asked me to, nor am I letting you ruin my closet.”

“Whatcha gonna do?” Tim taunted. “Stay in all day and night and guard it?” he sniggered. “Even if you set up cameras, sensors, whatever other gadgets you Bats have, there will be a time where you’ll be occupied with whatever petty criminals are out there, and I will create a masterpiece with your closet. And I’ll do it over and over again.”

“What if I break up with you?” Jason challenged. He tore the biscuit up a few more times, still not eating a single piece.

“Then I could go and babble to the whole school about how scary Jason threatened me with a gun or something and the police will probably come running and oh, look! guns all over his apartment. Now, what would that make you look like?” Tim asked. He spooned a massive lump of mashed potatoes into his mouth, a drop of gravy collecting at the corner of his lips. Jason’s fingers twitched to wipe it off. He tore into the biscuit a little more viciously.

“That’s not very nice of you, Timbo,” Jason said casually, his eyes still pinned on the gravy. Thankfully, Tim stuck his tongue out and licked it away.

“No, I suppose not. Hm, maybe to bribe me into silence, you can let me live with you cost free,” Tim said, thinking aloud.

“I’m not paying for your living costs!” Jason scoffed.

“Your rich dad already pays for all of your living costs anyway,” Tim pointed out. Then, his smile became wicked. “ _Oh_ , what if I tell daddy dearest what you’ve been getting up to?”

Jason had to refrain from laughing. The irony was killing him. He sighed dramatically. “Fine, you can live with me. But you’re sleeping on the couch.”

~

Tim did not sleep on the couch. He did not sleep on the couch once. In fact, the first thing he did after setting all his things down in a large pile in Jason’s living room four weeks later was announce, “I’m going to go take a nap.”

Jason came back from bringing up the last of Tim’s boxes and found Tim snoring in his bed, in nothing but a pair of boxers and one of Jason’s t-shirts, flipped inside out, of course. Jason went around his room, picking up the clothes strewn in all different places, tucked away the gun that had been lying on his dresser, and straightened the pillows that were hanging crookedly off the bed, from where Tim probably dislodged them by flopping onto the king sized bed.

Jason was dead tired, and he would have also liked to take a nap, except for the fact that his considerably smaller boyfriend was sleeping like a starfish on top of his bed. So instead, Jason crashed on the couch for a couple hours.

When Tim woke up, he made his way into the kitchen, led by his nose. He sat down at the small dining table and smiled sleepily at Jason. “Smells good, what’re you making?”

“Lemon and rosemary grilled salmon,” Jason answered. “You interested?”

“Am I?” Tim responded excitedly. He stretched and yawned. “I wonder what I did to deserve such a sweet boyfriend.”

“Besides manipulation and blackmail?” Jason deadpanned. “Not much,” Jason said, setting a plate in front of Tim and handing him a set of utensils.

Tim dug in immediately. “Nah, I think it’s more than just that,” Tim pointed out, spearing a perfectly cooked asparagus. “No, you _like_ me. Otherwise, you would’ve just shot me through the head and walked away guilt free.” He cut into the salmon, his eyes fluttering closed at the savory aroma that rolled up to meet him.

Jason sat down slowly across from him, just watching Tim eat for a minute. “You know I won’t actually shoot you, right?”

Tim shrugged. “Well, I know you won’t shoot me without reason, but wouldn’t say you’d _never_ shoot me. Obviously, I try not to give you a reason to.” He smiled. “This is really good! Why haven’t you cooked more often for me?”

Jason grimaced. “I only go after bad people, Tim.”

“I know,” Tim said. He tried the baby potatoes. “But I could end up being a bad person,” he said with a shrug.

Jason frowned a little more. Tim did not notice his slight discomfort until after he finished eating.

“Jay! You’ve barely touched your food!” Tim exclaimed.

“Not all the hungry,” Jason grunted, taking a slow bite of his asparagus that tasted like rubber in his mouth.

“You should eat more, especially since you _insist_ on going out every single night.” Tim sighed. “Wish you wouldn’t, but I as long as you’re safe, I guess.”

Jason stood and collected the dishes. He put his leftovers into the fridge and did the dishes. Then he started on his essays.

Jason did not _have_ to be in college. In fact, technically he never even graduated from high school, but here he was, at Gotham University, one of America’s most prestigious college because Bruce wanted him to do something other than think about who to get revenge on. It was not too much work, but he soon caught the attention of Tim, who is two years his junior.

Tim was double majoring in forensic science and criminal justice. Jason just took the easy way out and went with English. He could finish the essays easily, take the exams and get good scores with studying for them.

So he sat down in front of the TV, after shoving Tim’s things to the side, turned on a random TV show and kept the volume down and started typing. Twenty minutes later, Tim sneaked in and curled up by Jason. He made it a bit more difficult for Jason to type, but Jason did not mind all that much. He would never admit it, but he rather liked it when Tim got cuddly.

“Can you stay home tonight?” Tim asked, sounding sleepy.

Jason rolled his eyes. “You haven’t spent a whole day here and you’re already this home?”

Tim smiled. “My home is wherever you are, Jay.”

“That’s so fucking cheesy.”

“Hm, maybe,” Tim whispered. “So are you staying with me tonight? Or do I have to get used to a cold bed starting tonight?”

Jason sighed. “I can’t just ditch patrol, Tim.”

Tim went silent for a little while. “I know,” he finally said. He detached himself from Jason’s side. “I’ll leave you to finish your work then.”

He stood and went to go. Jason called after him. “I could try coming back early.”

“Would you?” Tim asked, glancing over his shoulder with a small smile. At Jason’s short nod, Tim smiled. “Okay.”

Jason turned back to his work. He finished up quickly and slipped into the guest room which he used for vigilante purposes. It was locked, in case any of Jason’s infrequent guests decided to snoop around.

He knocked on his bedroom door gently before opening it. Tim was curled up in the covers like a giant cocoon, watching TV.

“I’m leaving now,” Jason said.

Tim pouted but nodded. “Stay safe,” he called after Jason. Tim then settled in, preparing himself for a long night.

He kept the light and the TV on, but every so often, he would drift off to sleep only to wake up again an hour or two later. He did it a couple times, but Tim was determined to stay up and wait for Jason’s return.

It was nearly four in the morning when Jason returned. Tim listened carefully as Jason shuffled into the guest room, which was soundproof, so Tim could not actually hear anything from it. But Jason stayed there for an oddly long amount of time. Half an hour later, he comes out, and Tim heard a muffled curse as Jason walked past the bedroom.

“Jay?” Tim called out. The footsteps stopped suddenly. There was a moment of complete silence.

Then, “Shit, Timmy, you still awake?” came Jason’s voice. It was strained. Tim frowned, already sitting up in bed and pushing his legs out from under the warm covers.

“Are you okay?” Tim asked.

“Yeah, fine,” Jason said. “Go to sleep.”

“I was waiting for you,” Tim said cautiously as he made his way across the floor silently. His hand rested on the door.

“I just have some clean up to do. Might take a while,” Jason said. “You have an earlier class than I do tomorrow, don’t you?”

Tim yanked the door open.

“Fuck,” Jason said. He was half hidden in the darkness, but Tim saw the blood stained rag held to Jason’s side. “Hey.”

“Did you get shot?” Tim asked dryly.

“No,” Jason said.

“Stabbed?”

“…No.”

At Tim’s stern raised eyebrow, Jason sighed. “It’s not even that bad!” he protested. “See?” He lifted the rag away and the blood immediately started dripping onto the carpet, so Jason quickly covered it up again. “I just ran out of thread for stitches, so I gotta go grab my sewing kit.”

Tim’s lips pressed together tightly. He crossed his arms and glared at Jason.

“It’s part of the job,” Jason explained. Tim still said nothing, just silently fuming at Jason. Jason was not sure of what to do or say. “Can you yell at me _after_ I stitch myself up?” he asked weakly.

Tim glared at him for a second longer before nodding once sharply. He spun on his heels and slammed the door behind him as he goes back into the bedroom and plunging Jason into darkness again. Jason grimaced as he moved to get the thread. He went back to the other room and started sewing himself together. He did each stitch slowly and meticulously, must more carefully than he usually would for two reasons: he did not want Tim yelling at him for doing his usually shitty job of stitching, and he was stalling for time.

He cleaned up the wound with some alcohol and slowly packed his stuff away, making a mental note to have Alfred order him some more of the special stitching thread.

He put on a white t-shirt and made his way back to the bedroom, knocking softly before entering.

Tim sat at the edge of the bed, his legs crossed and his arms crossed as well, looking very much like a disappointed parent, not at all like the Tim Jason knew.

Jason shuffled inside and sat down slowly in the chair by the desk on the other side of the room.

“What happened?” Tim asked, his voice calm and surprisingly gentle, but Jason could hear the coldness to it.

“A thug got lucky, that’s all,” Jason said. “This… doesn’t usually happen, I promise.”

“First fucking night I’m here, and who knows how many times in the two months before that,” Tim suddenly snapped. “ _This_ is why I don’t want you doing this, being Red Hood.”

Jason frowned. “You can’t just dictate what I do in my life,” he said icily.

“You’re twenty-one, Jason,” Tim said. “And I’m assuming you started at what? Fifteen? Younger? That’s way too young to be putting your life out there on the line to do the job that the fucking police are supposed to be doing!”

“But they’re not doing it, so someone has it!”

“You could _die_ every single night, Jason? That doesn’t- It doesn’t trigger any kind of warning bells in your head that maybe something is wrong here?”

Jason stood, knocking the chair over in his haste. His face was murderous. “Just because you _know_ about what I do and we’re dating – for only _two months,_ may I add – does not give you any right to tell me what I should do with my life! I’m so fucking sick and tired of people telling me that!”

“I care about you Jason! There are people who care about you if you die!” Tim yelled. He stood up as well. “I know you don’t exactly get along with your family, but don’t you think they’d care? Your friends? Hell, I can’t speak for the group of demented Bats you run around with, but I’m sure they would care too!”

“I don’t _need_ you to care about me!” Jason growled. “I don’t even need to be here explaining myself to you, nor do I need you running your mouth about what you think my life needs to be like! I’m not going to change my lifestyle so you can sleep better at night knowing I’m not dead in an alleyway somewhere. In fact, get out. Get out of my house and get out of my life.”

Tim’s face became blank. “You’re kicking me out,” he repeated.

“Yes. Right now.” Jason pointed to the bedroom door.

Tim stared at him for a second longer. Then he shrugged. “Fine,” he said simply. He walked swiftly to the door. “Have a good life, Jason. I hope you can finally be happy without anyone telling you what to do.” A second later, Jason heard the front door close softly.

He did not even slam the door. Jason walked over to the bed and sat down on it heavily. He glared at the open doorway, and he can see the outline of Tim’s boxes, still stacked up in the living room. Tim had not even mentioned returning to get his things at any time.

Jason shook himself, his anger flaring a bit again. He reached over and turned off the light. Then he crawled into bed, which was still warm and smelled like Tim. Jason turned his back to the living room and the boxes. Jason did not want to, but he felt uneasy about the whole thing. He probably should not have kicked Tim out or said certain words, but Tim also had no right to be trying to change him into something he is not.

Tim would be back tomorrow morning. He had a 9 AM class, and his stuff is all in Jason’s apartment. They would talk it out then.

~

But Tim did not come back the next morning. It was 8:50 AM, and Tim still had yet to show up. Was he so stubborn as to going to class without his stuff? Probably. Jason sat in the kitchen with a mug of coffee, just glaring at the thick binder that lay on the table across from him. It had papers sticking out of every side of it, pieces crumpled and some stained. How Tim got anything done was a concept lost to Jason.

Jason pulled the binder towards him and pulled a piece of paper out. All that was drawn on it was a silly-looking smiley face and a broccoli. Jason opened up the binder, half expecting it to house a family of raccoons or something.

But the front inside pocket of the binder was actually filled with pictures. Of Tim’s friends and of Jason. Jason set down the paper with the broccoli and dug out the topmost picture. It was a polaroid, taken on their first date by a cute little girl they passed in the park. On the bottom, there was just a little red heart drawn.

Jason put the picture back into the pocket and started straightening out Tim’s things again. Once the binder looked more presentable, Jason looked up. 9:05 AM, and Tim was still absent.

An uneasy feeling pooled in Jason’s gut. He stood up and walked quickly to his room. He grabbed his jacket, phone and keys. He shoved Tim’s binder into a bag and left.

Jason jumped on his bike and roared down the street towards the school. He barged into Tim’s biochemistry classroom and froze as every single head turned towards him.

“Can I help you?” the professor asked.

“Er, is Tim Drake here?” he asked, already scanning the room. Tim’s face was not present. Jason’s heart dropped to his stomach. “Sorry,” he said quickly before backing out of the classroom.

Jason was an idiot. He bolted across the school back to the parking lot, half cursing the fact that Tim’s class was on the other side of campus, half cursing himself for kicking Tim out last night. What the hell was he thinking? Assuming Tim was okay, there was no way their relationship is progressing any further. Who kicks their boyfriend out on the first day they move in?

Jason pulled out his phone and called Tim. Of course, no one answered. Then, Jason remembered that Tim left his phone on the dresser in the bedroom. So Jason called someone else instead.

“Shouldn’t you be in class?” was the first thing Barbara asked.

“I don’t have a class this morning,” Jason said quickly. “Babs, I may have fucked up last night and I need your help.”

“Okay, shoot,” Barbara said, sounding a bit tired.

“I kicked Tim out of the house last night.”

“Didn’t he move in last night too?” Barbara asked.

“Yeah,” Jason winced. “And- And he’s not in his class this morning. He left everything in my apartment. He just walked out wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. I don’t even think he was wearing _shoes_.”

Barbara sighed heavily. “Alright, I’ll check and I’ll get back to you. What are you going to do?”

Jason laughed weakly. “I don’t know. It’s broad daylight right now, so I guess I’m going to ride around nearby and see if I can find him.”

“Because that’s effective,” Barbara said. “Alright, fine. I’ll get back to you.”

“Thanks, Babs,” Jason said, grabbing his helmet and throwing a leg over his bike.

Jason spent all morning searching in a five mile radius around his apartment. He asked around, homeless people who were nearby, people walking their dogs, anyone, if they’d seen someone matching Tim’s description. No one had.

Finally, at noon, Barbara called him back. “Jason,” she said. “I found him, but I don’t think you’ll be very happy with the news.”

Jason’s heart skipped a beat. “Fuck, is he okay?”

“He’s… fine,” Barbara said.

Jason caught the hesitation, but decided to ask about it later. “Where is he?”

Barbara did not answer.

“Babs? Where is he?”

“He’s at the Manor.”

Jason did not respond for a few seconds. “At the… Manor. As in _Wayne_ Manor.”

“Correct,” Barbara said. “He walked there.”

Jason made a sharp U-turn, the smell of burning rubber filling the air at his wake. “What the hell is he doing at the Manor?” he muttered under his breath. Then to Barbara, “And is he actually fine? You didn’t sound sure.”

Barbara hesitated another few seconds. “He’s not hurt,” she offered. “Badly.”

“What?!” Jason yelled. “He got hurt?”

“He had a run in with some drunk men at 5:47 this morning by Third and Harrisburg. They roughed him up a bit, but he got away. As far as I could tell, the worst thing he got is a bloody nose and busted lip. Maybe a bruise on his head.” Barbara went silent again. Then, she said, “But the cameras of the bakery aren’t very clear, since they’re on the inside, so he could also have a broken nose and a concussion.”

Jason swore loudly. “You didn’t think to tell me that first?”

“He made it to the Manor fine, so I’m assuming he didn’t have a concussion and a broken nose,” Barbara said. “Because I think your boyfriend has enough sense to go to the hospital if he had a concussion.”

Jason sped up a little. “A stubborn shit like him? I doubt it. Thanks anyway, Babs.”

“Anytime, Jay. But preferably not while I have period cramps next time. I tend to be a bit more brutal then. Thanks.”

Jason pulled up in front of the Manor five minutes later, and dropped his bike, running up the steps. He knocked loudly and waited impatiently for Alfred to answer the door.

“Master Jason,” Alfred said when he opened the door.

“Where is Tim?” Jason demanded, pushing past the older man, feeling a slight twinge of guilt.

“He is talking with Master Bruce,” Alfred said calmly.

“ _Where?_ ”

“In the kitchen,” Alfred said. Jason took off running towards the kitchen. He burst through the door and froze.

Sure enough, Tim sat at the kitchen island, drinking hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows floating in them and eating sugar cookies while Bruce sat across from him with a black coffee. They both looked up when Jason ran inside.

“Jason,” Bruce said slowly.

Jason ignored Bruce and stumbled forward, wrapping his arms around Tim instead. He pressed his face into Tim’s slightly damp hair and just stood there, his eyes closed and feeling the steady beating of Tim’s heart under his arms.

“Um,” Tim said. “Hey.”

“You scared me,” Jason muttered into Tim’s hair. “I’m so sorry, Tim. I shouldn’t have made you leave last night over that stupid argument. I would’ve never forgiven myself if something happened to you.”

Tim laughed weakly. “I think you would’ve gotten over it,” he said. “It was kind of my fault too. I left.”

Jason squeezed Tim even tighter. “Don’t- Don’t do that again.”

“What? Walk out on you?” Tim laughed. “Nah, I wouldn’t do that to you. Not unless you want me to.”

At that moment, Jason hated how Tim put a lighthearted touch to everything, how he made a joke about everything, twisting words out of context in a weird way of trying to comfort others, usually at his own expense. Jason had the urge to pick Tim up and just carry him away, back to his apartment, drop him in the bed, and lock him there so Tim would not go do something stupid like that again.

But instead, Jason let go of Tim and stepped back. He finally looked at Bruce. “So what’s going on here?” he asked.

Bruce pretended not to have heard any of that and took a slow sip of his coffee. “Your friend came with the intention of informing me of your… nighttime activities,” Bruce said slowly. Then he sighed and looked at Tim. “Now he wants to help.”

Before Jason had a chance to be confused, Tim turned in his seat and blew on his hot cocoa with a smug smile. “I figured it all out on the way here.”

Jason blinked. “Figured… what out?”

“The identities of Batman, Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, and a few of the extended members,” Bruce said flatly.

Jason went pale. Then confused. “On the way _here?_ ” he asked. “Like, while you were walking? All in your head?”

“Oh, yeah,” Tim said. “I knew something wasn’t adding up. Should’ve figured it out sooner, but I didn’t have enough time to think about it thoroughly.”

Jason’s eyes darted to Bruce. The man did not seem upset. He just sipped his coffee calmly. “And what- what do you mean by you want to help?” At Tim’s widening grin, Jason started shaking his head. “No,” he said. He looked at Bruce. “Tell me you didn’t agree to this.”

Bruce set his cup down. “He has useful skills,” he said. “He could be helpful.”

“Bruce, you can’t- No, Tim, it’s-”

“Dangerous? Reckless? Stupid?” Tim bit out, each word colder than the last.

Jason shut his mouth miserably. “Tim, please…”

Tim rolled his eyes. “I’m not having this argument with you again. You don’t want to give it up? Fine, but I’m not going to sit around on my ass and watch you get shot and stabbed every night.”

Jason turned to Bruce again. “You’re just going to let him like that? Not putting up any fight?”

“I don’t see any reason for him not to be a part of the team,” Bruce said. “God knows I already have ten of them running around anyway, so what’s one more?”

Tim beamed. “See, Jay? Can’t disobey the boss, now can we?” He stood. “Thank you for your hospitality, Bruce,” he said. “But I should probably get to class now. I’ll be over tonight.” Jason opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure of what else to say. Tim started towards the door. “Coming, Jay? Or are you going to make me walk back as well?”

Jason gave Bruce one last pleading look, but the man just smiled softly and shrugged. Jason shoved a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. He pointed at Bruce. “I am going to have a long talk with you later tonight,” he hissed.

Then, he turned to follow Tim out.

When they got back to the apartment, the first thing Jason did was pick Tim up, carry him to the bed and drop him on top of the covers. Jason climbed up on top of him and pinned Tim’s wrists above his head.

Tim laughed. “Kinky,” he said.

“Tim,” Jason said seriously. “Why did you go and do this?”

“Do what? You’re the one pinning me, Jay. I can't do _anything._ ”

“I’m serious. I know you’re stupidly stubborn, but this is beyond that!”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Tim said. “For once, I _wasn’t_ being stubborn. You weren’t budging, so I had to.”

“And get yourself into this mess?” Jason asked. “This isn’t something you can go back on! You do this, and you’re in it for life, Tim!”

“I know,” Tim said. “What, don’t want to be stuck with me for the rest of your life? Well, too bad, because even if you do break up with me, we’re co-workers from now on!” Tim gasped. “Wait, does the ‘no dating co-workers’ rule apply with you Bats?”

Jason frowned. “I’m not- I’m not going to break up with you,” he said. “But you have to promise me something.”

“Mm, I’ll see,” Tim said. “Tell me first.”

“If you’re seriously going to be doing this,” Jason said. “You are, in no circumstances, allowed to pull any stupid self-sacrificing moves, understand?”

Tim’s eyes rolled up as he pretended to think. “Nope, can’t promise that. Anything else?”

“You have to promise me that, Tim,” Jason breathed. “That’s all I’m asking. I don’t want you jumping in front of bullets or knives or throwing yourself into dangerous situations for me or anyone else, got it?”

“Does the same apply to you?” Tim challenged. At Jason’s silence, Tim shrugged. “Then I can’t say I promise to do that.”

“Okay, fine, I promise too,” Jason said, frowning.

“Well, I still won’t promise because you’re lying,” Tim said. “Now, are you going to let me up? My wrists are bruising.”

“Tim… _please_ ,” Jason said, his voice desperate.

Tim finally became serious. “Jay, I can’t promise you that.”

“And I can’t have you getting hurt for me,” Jason said. “Dick is already too self-sacrificing for his own good. And I made him promise too, but he just breaks that promise. You’re a man of your word. So I need you to promise.”

Tim let out a soft sigh. “Jason, if I’m going to be doing this with you for the rest of my life, especially as _this_ , I _will_ eventually fall in love with you. Hell, I think I already have. And I know that I cannot just stand by and watch you get hurt or die when I could’ve done something, _anything_. So I can’t promise you that.”

Jason took a shuddering breath, then released Tim’s wrists. He let himself collapse onto Tim, but making sure not to put his whole weight on him.

Tim laughed softly and reached up around Jason to pat his back. “It’s alright, Jay,” he said. “We’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

“Will we?” Jason mumbled into Tim’s neck.

“Of course! You have me, so what could ever go wrong?”

**Author's Note:**

> If you couldn't tell, I was rather torn between angst and fluff/humor. On one hand, I wanted Tim to barge into the Manor, completely terrified for Jason's life and blurting out to several members of the Wayne family that Jason is Red Hood and he's going to get himself killed because Batman is an irresponsible little bitch.
> 
> On the other hand, I wanted Tim to be heading to the Manor when he gets attacked and those thugs left him for dead, and Jay finds him and holds Tim, and there are some love confessions and if I were really going hardcore angst, I'd probably kill off Timmy. 
> 
> But alas, I always make Timbo too precious for my own good, and can never go through with it in the end. And while I do love the second option, it's a little overdone, though it gets me every time, I wanted to do something a bit more original. Don't know if I really like this, but I finished, so I'm going to put it out there. 
> 
> Hope you guys like it. <3
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://lockedandlokied.tumblr.com/), if you're interested.


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